DAY53
Reading comprehension
Direction： In this part， there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements， each with four suggested answers marked A， B， C and D. Choose the one that you think is the correct answer.
Passage 1
Since the Nobel Prizes for physics， chemistry， physiology or medicine， peace， and literature were first awarded in 1901， only 2 women have won the physics prize， compared with 157 men. Only 3 women have captured the chemistry prize， compared with 129 men. No woman has won the prize in physics since 1963， or in chemistry since 1964， ect.
“How can we look back a hundred years and say that only nine women have won the prize for literature？” says Ebba WittBrattstrom， professor of literature. She maintains that at least 40 percent of the prizes should have gone to women.
The discrepancy in the sciences has not gone unnoticed either. When WittBrattstrom attended a Noble dinner two years ago， a Japanese scientist inquired， “Could you tell me why there are no women here？ We all know there are lots of them in science.”
Finding the answer is further complicated by the Nobel Foundations policy of keeping the nomination lists and selection process confidential for 50 years. Elisabeth Crawford， who has spent 20 year studying the Noble archives found that of the 5，000 nominations for the physics and chemistry prizes up until 1949， only 50 were for women. Nobel defenders say that many women may have been nominated since 1950， but few have made the final cut.
Noble purists say the prizes should not be influenced by gender balance. The history of the prizes however， is full of subtle kinds of influence. In a classic case of oldboynetworking， the wealthy industrialist Armand Hammer decided that he wanted a Nobel peace prize. He spent several years schmoozing influential people but died before he achieved his goal.
A 1998 New Yorker article detailed the literature committees infighting over whether making a point of giving the prize to new voices or minorities threatened its value. Conservative Swedish literary critic Mats Gellerfelt sarcastically noted in the article that the ideal candidate for a Nobel today would be a lesbian from Asia.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences， meanwhile， defends its impartiality on the physics， chemistry， and economic sciences prize and wont discuss the question of women awardees. “There is an attitude that scientists are not influenced by discrimination against women，”says Elisabeth Crawford. What counts is expertise.
Yet Crawford points out that once the initial pool of candidates is drawn up for the three science prizes， the committee cuts loose on such factors as age， nationality， and connections. And gender？ “It is not in their frame of mind to consider women as women to offset this imbalance，”Crawford says， noting that almost all of the women who won science prizes shared them with male colleagues. Most women， though， are ignored， as in the case of Lise Meitner， codiscoverer of nuclear fission 22， who was not included in the 1944 chemistry prize with Otto Hahn.
If the sciences arent welcoming to women， neither are the institutions that grant the prizes. No women sit on the board of directors of the Nobel Foundation， and though women are well represented in midlevel positions at the secretariat of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science， not one sits on the governing council.
Robert Marc Friedman， professor of the history of science says， “I think there are some committee members who would be delighted to support women， and others who are on the side of the boys. In the future， the question is this： will they be open to change？”
1. According to the author， the cause of few womenNobel winners is that .
A. they are not as excellent as men
B. they are discriminated and provided with less nominations
C. they are lacking originality in thought
D. they scarcely make any achievement in science and other fields
2. Which of the following best defines the word “expertise” （the last word in paragraph 7）？
A. expert knowledgeB. enterprise C. enthusiasmD. responsibility
3. The author uses the example of Lise Meitner to argue that
A. women are considered to make up the balance.
B. women have the equal opportunity as men.
C. they can also do a quite well job.
D. women are treated pretty unfairly.
4. It can be inferred from the text that
A. No one concerns about the fact that there are much less women involved in Nobel Prizes compared with men.
B. The selection process of Nobel Prizes is quite open to all people.
C. Members of literature committee do not get along with each other very well.
D. Nobel Prize is the most genderfriendly prize.
5. From the text we can see that the author seems .
A. sensitiveB. satisfied C. optimisticD. critical
Passage 2
Stanford University is a privately endowed institution， founded in 1885 by Senator and Mrs. Leland Stanford in memory of their deceased son. The student body is composed of approximately 14，000 students. Of the 6，600 undergraduates （A.B. or B.S.） enrolled last year， about 300 came from outside the United States. There were also 2，000 international students among 7，400 students who were enrolled in graduate programs （M.A.， M.S. and Ph.D.）。 Thus we have a substantial community of international students even though the proportion of undergraduate international students is rather low.
Stanford operates on a fourquarter system. Autumn， Winter， and Spring Quarters make up the usual academic year and constitute approximately the same amount of time. The fourth， Summer Quarter， is usually smaller in enrollment but offers regular credit.
Stanford offers undergraduate degrees in over 57 fields. It does not offer undergraduate degrees in business， law， medicine， or education， though many students prepared for careers in these fields by majoring in a related undergraduate discipline. An applicant applies to Stanford through the Office of Undergraduate Admission， or not a particular school and department within the University. All fields of study are equally open to all undergraduates. An applicant is invited to specify a field of interest， but this is not required.
To qualify for a Stanford degree， the University requires that a minimum of two academic years （at least 90 quarts of academic work） be satisfactorily completed at Stanford. Departmental requirements for the given degree must be fulfilled， as well as University General Education Requirements. It is most possible to attend Stanford for only one year either as a visiting student or to finish an undergraduate degree somewhere else. All students must be enrolled in a course of study leading to a bachelors degree.
Students from other countries may find that methods of instruction and the structure of the curriculum at Stanford differ in many ways from those offered in their home countries. Stanford believes that every student should have a broad education in addition to specializing in a particular field. Students must take two quarters of Freshman English and a yearlong course emphasizing philosophy and literature. In addition， they must take courses in the humanities， sciences， and natural sciences， regardless of their intended major.
A nonU.S. citizen accepted for admission needs a Certificate of Eligibility， Form 1-20， to apply for the F-1 Visa （student Visa）。 Stanford issues a Form 1-20 to each enrolling student who is not U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident， but this form is sent only when the adequacy of the students financial support for study at Stanford has been determined.
1. Which of the following places should a student not hand his application form in to？
A. The Office of Undergraduate Admission
B. Not a particular school
C. Department within the University
D. Administration building of University
2. According to the text， who of the following persons is not qualified for a Stanford degree？
A. Foreign students who have studied 3 years in Stanford
B. Students who have fulfilled the Department requirements， but missed the University General Education requirements
C. Students who are in their first year study， but have achieved great success.
D. Students who refuse to take courses in social sciences and natural sciences.
3. Which of the following statements is correct according to the text？
A. In Summer Quarter， classes are also open to students.
B. If you are an oversea student， your attendance to some field of study is limited.
C. To specify a field of interest is necessary.
D. Although undergraduate degrees in business and medicine are offered， many students still major in a related undergraduate discipline.
4. Which certificate should an oversea student possess if he wants to be enrolled by Stanford？
A. Certificate of Eligibility， Form 1-20 and F-1 Visa.
B. General Certificate of Education.
C. Certificate of good behavior in their native countries.
D. Certificate of great achievements.
5. How would you describe the writers style？
A. Write in an academic style.
B. Write in a journalistic style.
C. Write in a personal style.
D. On the basis of widespread research in the area.
Passage 3
The 435 seats in the House of Representatives， plus onethird of the 100 Senate seats， are up for election every two years. For candidates to the House of Representatives， success in the primary may well mean triumph in the general election. This is because many representatives are elected from the oneparty districts — usually defined as areas in which one political party always wins at least 55 percent of the vote and the other never obtains more than 45 percent. A majority of the congressional districts are of this type and victory in the primary normally determines who will be elected to office. “Safe” oneparty Senate seats are relatively rare， however — most states are “competitive”， meaning that the election is a real contest.
Another factor that plays a major role in the election of members of Congress is incumbency. An incumbency is a person who is already in office. Incumbency is a significant force. In the 1976 election only 13 House incumbents lost their seats. In 1980 the figure was somewhat higher — 31 of the 392 incumbents seeking reelection were defeated.
Incumbents have certain builtin advantages over their challengers： They are better known in their districts， can send out mail at no charge （a privilege of members of Congress）， and have a core of supporters who can be called upon to work during the campaign. As a result， many senators and representatives have long careers serving in Congress.
In presidential election years， another factor — the socalled coattail effect — may influence the outcome of congressional elections in competitive districts and states. A popular presidential candidate may help House and Senate candidates who are running on the same party ballot get elected. The 1980 election illustrates this effect. Reagans triumph in the presidential election helped produce a net gain of 33 Republicans in the House of Representatives and 12 in the Senate. The Republican victories in the Senate were the largest gain by party since 1958 and created the first Republican majority in the Senate since the 1952 election.
This phenomenon does not occur in every election， however. In 1976， for example， Jimmy Carters narrow victory in the presidential election did not significantly affect the outcome of congressional elections. If congressional candidates believe their partys presidential nominee will not run a strong race， they will base their campaign strategy on other factors — their own achievements or the shortcomings of their opponents， for example — and avoid trying their campaign to that of their partys presidential candidate.
In an offyear election（ i.e.， one in which a President is not being elected ），candidates in competitive districts can not ride the coattails of a presidential candidate. Even popular Presidents cannot transfer their popularity when their names are not on the ballot. The candidates must devise different strategies to achieve victory. The character and voting record of a candidate become more important in offyear elections，while national issues tend to become less important. Candidates for the Senate may have to develop programs centered on specific state issues. National issues play a significant role in offyear elections only if they are of great interest to the voters. For example， the Watergate scandal in the 1974 elections.
1. Incumbents have some advantages over their challengers， which of the following statements is not included？
A. They can send out mail without concern about the cost.
B. They have a core of supporters.
C. They are better known in their districts.
D. They appear on TV frequently.
2. In presidential election years， which doesnt play an important role in the election of members of Congress according to the text？
A. Success in the primary election.B. You are during your incumbency.
C. Some other people take you up.D. They seem easy to approach.
3. What will congressional candidates do if they think their partys presidential nominee is not so strong？
A. Show the nominees achievements and their opponents shortcomings.
B. Tie their campaign to that of their partys presidential candidate.
C. Establish a good rapport with other parties.
D. Persuade people into supporting him.
4. Which of the following statements is wrong according to the text？
A. The coattails of a presidential candidate can also work a lot in an offyear election.
B. Oneparty districts are areas in which one political party always wins at least 55 percent of the vote.
C. The character and voting record is important in offyear elections.
D. National issues do not play a significant role in offyear elections if they are of little interest to voters.
5. What is the authors purpose of writing this article？
A. Criticizing the system of American election.
B. Giving readers some information about the American election.
C. Making American election known universally.
D. Pointing out the advantages of American election over other elections.
Passage 4
In cities all over the United States， workers spend several hours a day in cars crawling along in traffic to get to offices many miles from home. They experience stress， waste time， and pay a lot for gas， car maintenance， and parking. Once they get to work， they make their way through a maze of cubicles， each with its computer， phone， and file cabinet. Nancy Alley， human resources manager at TBWA China/Day， doesnt. She stays at home in her pajamas with a pile of resume， talking with managers over the phone and faxing in paperwork. Instead of walking down the hall to chat with coworkers， she Emails them. Nancy is a telecommuter， someone who works some or all of the time at home， and she is part of a trend. Since 1990， the number of U.S. telecommuters has grown from 4.2 million to 9.2 million， and by the turn of the century， 55 million people worldwide have been telecommuting.
Highway congestion， the high cost of office space， federal cleanair laws， reduced work forces， and lifestyle needs — all these factors contribute to the growth of telecommuting. What makes it possible is technology. Desktop and laptop personal computers， networking， videoconferencing， fax machines， Email， and multiple phone lines provide the fast and efficient communication required for telecommuting.
The experiences of many companies suggest that telecommuting can increase workplace flexibility and enhance productivity. At Georgia Power Company， for example， the company decided to triple its number of telecommuters. The company reduced the cost of leased office space by $100，000 a year， increased productivity among the telecommuting employees of its customer service center， and saved the workers a combined 750 commuter miles a day.
Telecommuting， however， is not without its obstacles. At one computer software firm， the information systems manager offered telecommuting as an option to her 100person staff. After three months， the staff members reported that being away from the office was counterproductive to their work. Programmers missed being able to drop by analysts cubicles with questions， and everyone reported they were interrupted at home more often. As part of its costcutting initiative， Nestle required 140 sales employees to telecommute. Facing many technical problems with telephone lines and frustratingly slow computer networking， most of these telecommutes found it an aggravating experience. Telecommuting also makes many employees feel isolated and out of touch， leading to decreased motivation and less， not more productivity. By blurring the barriers between work and family， telecommuting often leads to more work hours and more interference with family life.
Telecommuting is not universally applicable. Jobs and individuals must be suitable， and staff must be capable of managing telecommuters. In addition， technological improvements， such as highspeed modems， are crucial. Few people expect to conduct business regularly from a tropical island or mountain resort any time soon.
1. Which of the following statements is not one of the troubles of driving to office everyday， mentioned in this text？
A. They often come home from work very late.
B. It wastes a lot of time.
C. The cost of gas， car maintenance and parking is pretty high.
D. They bear a heavy burden.
2. The following statements are factors contributing to the growth of telecommuting， except .
A. traffic jam and high expense of office space.
B. the federal cleanair laws and reduced work forces.
C. the hours staying with their families are too less.
D. the lifestyle is different from former ones.
3. Telecommuting is not as perfect as expected， which is not its problems？
A. Some workers cant work as efficient as when they are at office.
B. It makes employees feel isolated and out of touch.
C. It causes the expense of electricity to rise rapidly.
D. It leads to long work hours and interrupts family life.
4. Judging from the passage， which of the following is incorrect？
A. Telecommuting is someone who works some or all of the time at home.
B. It is technology that makes telecommuting possible.
C. Technological improvement is one element that can determine whether telecommuting is universally applicable.
D. It is very convenient to discuss between companions through telecommuting.
5. What is the authors opinion of telecommuting？
A. It can soon be applied to everyone.
B. There are many things to do to make it popular.
C. It has more advantages than disadvantages.
D. The use of it doesnt provide us with any good.
Keys and notes for the passage reading：
Passage 1
本文陳述了很少有女性獲諾貝爾獎(jiǎng)的事實(shí)以及造成這種情況的原因：性別歧視。并對(duì)將來(lái)是否會(huì)改變這一現(xiàn)狀提出了疑問(wèn)。
1. Finding the answer is further complicated by the Nobel Foundations policy of keeping the nomination lists and selection process confidential for 50 years.對(duì)提名的名單和選舉程序保密50年， 諾貝爾獎(jiǎng)基金會(huì)的這一規(guī)定使得人們找到這一答案更加困難。
2. A 1998 New Yorker article detailed the literature committees infighting over whether making a point of giving the prize to new voices or minorities threatened its value.1998年《紐約人》上的一篇文章詳細(xì)介紹了文學(xué)評(píng)選委員會(huì)內(nèi)部關(guān)于決定使獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)向新的聲音或少數(shù)群體傾斜是否會(huì)威脅其價(jià)值的一場(chǎng)明爭(zhēng)暗斗。
3. Yet Crawford points out that once the initial pool of candidates is drawn up for the three science prizes， the committee cuts loose on such factors as age， nationality， and connections. Crawford 指出，在草擬候選人的初始名單時(shí)， 委員會(huì)是不會(huì)考慮諸如年齡、國(guó)籍及群帶關(guān)系這些因素的。
1. 「B」從文章第四段中間可得。
2. 「A」expertise專業(yè)知識(shí)。enterprise 進(jìn)取心。 enthusiasm 熱情。responsibility責(zé)任心。
3. 「D」從文章倒數(shù)第三段中間可得到正確答案。
4. 「A」由文章第三段可知A正確。B，C錯(cuò)誤。從全文看，Nobel Prize 并不是很公平的，所以D不對(duì)。
5. 「D」通觀全文，作者持的是一種不滿和批判的態(tài)度。
Passage 2
本文主要介紹了斯坦福大學(xué)的學(xué)期設(shè)置，入讀申請(qǐng)及學(xué)位獲得，教育方法和非美國(guó)公民被錄取的資格等一系列具體事項(xiàng)。
1. An applicant applies to Stanford through the Office of Undergraduate Admission， or not a particular school and department within the University. 入讀斯坦福大學(xué)要遞交申請(qǐng)書(shū)給本科生招生辦公室，或非特定的學(xué)校和校內(nèi)的系辦。
2. A nonU.S. citizen accepted for admission needs a Certificate of Eligibility， Form 1-20， to apply for the F-1 Visa （student Visa）。被錄取的非美國(guó)籍學(xué)生應(yīng)具備1-20 類合格證書(shū)，申請(qǐng)F(tuán)-1類簽證（學(xué)生簽證）。
3. Stanford issues a Form 1-20 to each enrolling student who is not U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident， but this form is sent only when the adequacy of the students financial support for study at Stanford has been determined.斯坦福大學(xué)會(huì)給每個(gè)被錄取的非美國(guó)籍或非美國(guó)永久居民的學(xué)生發(fā)放1-20類合格證書(shū)，但只有當(dāng)學(xué)生在斯坦福學(xué)習(xí)的經(jīng)濟(jì)擔(dān)保被核實(shí)無(wú)誤后，才會(huì)發(fā)放該類證書(shū)。
1. 「D」該題可以根據(jù)文章第三段得到正確答案。
2. 「A」該題可以根據(jù)文章第四段得到正確答案。該段中規(guī)定了一些具體的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。
3. 「A」文中說(shuō)，雖然夏季上課的人要少些，但也開(kāi)設(shè)正常課程。
4. 「A」文章后一段第一句話明確回答了該問(wèn)題。
5. 「C」作者完全是按照自己的想法來(lái)寫(xiě)的，介紹Stanford 的一些情況，而不是學(xué)術(shù)或新聞寫(xiě)作。
Passage 3
本文主要介紹了美國(guó)的競(jìng)選情況，以及在總統(tǒng)選舉年和非總統(tǒng)選舉年影響選舉結(jié)果的一系列主要因素。
1. The 435 seats in the House of Representatives， plus onethird of the 100 Senate seats， are up for election every two years.眾議院的435個(gè)席位，加上參議院的100個(gè)席位中的三分之一，便為每?jī)赡昱e行的眾議員競(jìng)選作好了準(zhǔn)備。
2. In presidential election years， another factor — the socalled coattail effect — may influence the outcome of congressional elections in competitive districts and states.在總統(tǒng)競(jìng)選年，另一因素（即所謂的提攜作用）可能在競(jìng)爭(zhēng)激烈的地區(qū)和州影響國(guó)會(huì)選舉的結(jié)果。
3. If congressional candidates believe their partys presidential nominee will not run a strong race， they will base their campaign strategy on other factors — their own achievements or the shortcomings of their opponents， for example — and avoid trying their campaign to that of their partys presidential candidate.如果國(guó)會(huì)候選人認(rèn)為他們黨的總統(tǒng)提名人沒(méi)有很強(qiáng)的競(jìng)選能力，他們就把競(jìng)選運(yùn)動(dòng)的策略建立在其他因素上，比如他們本身的成就或?qū)κ值娜觞c(diǎn)，以避免競(jìng)選局限于本黨的總統(tǒng)候選人。
4. The character and voting record of a candidate become more important in offyear elections， while national issues tend to become less important.候選人的名聲及投票結(jié)果在非大選年更為重要，而國(guó)內(nèi)問(wèn)題往往不那么重要。
1. 「D」文中第三段對(duì)每一條優(yōu)勢(shì)都列舉得很清楚。
2. 「D」從文章第一段第二句可知A錯(cuò)誤。從文章第三段第一句可知B錯(cuò)誤。從文章第四段第一句可知C錯(cuò)誤。只有D正確。
3. 「A」從文章倒數(shù)第二段中間可得到正確答案。
4. 「A」從文章后一段第一句可知A錯(cuò)誤。B，C，D都可以在原文中找到。
5. 「B」作者對(duì)美國(guó)選舉進(jìn)行的是客觀描述。
Passage 4
隨著交通擁擠，空間費(fèi)用上漲，勞動(dòng)力的縮減及技術(shù)的發(fā)展，電訊家庭辦公成為眾望所歸。人們?cè)谙硎芩峁┑谋憷猓裁媾R著一些困擾。
1. Once they get to work， they make their way through a maze of cubicles， each with its computer， phone， and file cabinet.上班后，他們穿行在迷宮般的辦公室中，每個(gè)辦公室配有電腦、電話和文件柜。
2. Highway congestion， the high cost of office space， federal cleanair laws， reduced work forces， and lifestyle needs — all these factors contribute to the growth of telecommuting.公路交通的擁擠，辦公室空間的高額費(fèi)用， 聯(lián)邦政府的潔凈空氣法， 勞動(dòng)大軍的縮減以及生活方式的需要——所有這些因素促成了電訊家庭辦公人數(shù)的增加。
3. Programmers missed being able to drop by analysts cubicles with questions， and everyone reported they were interrupted at home more often. 程序員無(wú)法帶著問(wèn)題到分析員的辦公室里請(qǐng)教， 同時(shí)大家都感到在家辦公更是經(jīng)常被打擾。
4. Facing many technical problems with telephone lines and frustratingly slow computer networking， most of these telecommutes found it an aggravating experience.面臨著電話線路及煩人的電腦網(wǎng)絡(luò)“塞車”等許多技術(shù)性問(wèn)題，他們大都感到這是個(gè)令人惱火的經(jīng)歷。
1. 「A」本題可以在文章第一段第二句話中找到答案： 他們承受緊張壓力， 浪費(fèi)時(shí)間， 還要為汽油、汽車維修和泊車花一大筆錢(qián)。
2. 「C」本題可以從文章第二段第一句話中找到答案。
3. 「C」答案在文章第四段。
4. 「D」從文章第一段可知A錯(cuò)誤。從文章第二段可知B錯(cuò)誤。從后一段可知C錯(cuò)誤。
5. 「B」從第四段可知，電訊家庭辦公還存在許多問(wèn)題，還需要許多改進(jìn)工作才可使之普及。因此，選項(xiàng)B符合題意。
Reading comprehension
Direction： In this part， there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements， each with four suggested answers marked A， B， C and D. Choose the one that you think is the correct answer.
Passage 1
Since the Nobel Prizes for physics， chemistry， physiology or medicine， peace， and literature were first awarded in 1901， only 2 women have won the physics prize， compared with 157 men. Only 3 women have captured the chemistry prize， compared with 129 men. No woman has won the prize in physics since 1963， or in chemistry since 1964， ect.
“How can we look back a hundred years and say that only nine women have won the prize for literature？” says Ebba WittBrattstrom， professor of literature. She maintains that at least 40 percent of the prizes should have gone to women.
The discrepancy in the sciences has not gone unnoticed either. When WittBrattstrom attended a Noble dinner two years ago， a Japanese scientist inquired， “Could you tell me why there are no women here？ We all know there are lots of them in science.”
Finding the answer is further complicated by the Nobel Foundations policy of keeping the nomination lists and selection process confidential for 50 years. Elisabeth Crawford， who has spent 20 year studying the Noble archives found that of the 5，000 nominations for the physics and chemistry prizes up until 1949， only 50 were for women. Nobel defenders say that many women may have been nominated since 1950， but few have made the final cut.
Noble purists say the prizes should not be influenced by gender balance. The history of the prizes however， is full of subtle kinds of influence. In a classic case of oldboynetworking， the wealthy industrialist Armand Hammer decided that he wanted a Nobel peace prize. He spent several years schmoozing influential people but died before he achieved his goal.
A 1998 New Yorker article detailed the literature committees infighting over whether making a point of giving the prize to new voices or minorities threatened its value. Conservative Swedish literary critic Mats Gellerfelt sarcastically noted in the article that the ideal candidate for a Nobel today would be a lesbian from Asia.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences， meanwhile， defends its impartiality on the physics， chemistry， and economic sciences prize and wont discuss the question of women awardees. “There is an attitude that scientists are not influenced by discrimination against women，”says Elisabeth Crawford. What counts is expertise.
Yet Crawford points out that once the initial pool of candidates is drawn up for the three science prizes， the committee cuts loose on such factors as age， nationality， and connections. And gender？ “It is not in their frame of mind to consider women as women to offset this imbalance，”Crawford says， noting that almost all of the women who won science prizes shared them with male colleagues. Most women， though， are ignored， as in the case of Lise Meitner， codiscoverer of nuclear fission 22， who was not included in the 1944 chemistry prize with Otto Hahn.
If the sciences arent welcoming to women， neither are the institutions that grant the prizes. No women sit on the board of directors of the Nobel Foundation， and though women are well represented in midlevel positions at the secretariat of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science， not one sits on the governing council.
Robert Marc Friedman， professor of the history of science says， “I think there are some committee members who would be delighted to support women， and others who are on the side of the boys. In the future， the question is this： will they be open to change？”
1. According to the author， the cause of few womenNobel winners is that .
A. they are not as excellent as men
B. they are discriminated and provided with less nominations
C. they are lacking originality in thought
D. they scarcely make any achievement in science and other fields
2. Which of the following best defines the word “expertise” （the last word in paragraph 7）？
A. expert knowledgeB. enterprise C. enthusiasmD. responsibility
3. The author uses the example of Lise Meitner to argue that
A. women are considered to make up the balance.
B. women have the equal opportunity as men.
C. they can also do a quite well job.
D. women are treated pretty unfairly.
4. It can be inferred from the text that
A. No one concerns about the fact that there are much less women involved in Nobel Prizes compared with men.
B. The selection process of Nobel Prizes is quite open to all people.
C. Members of literature committee do not get along with each other very well.
D. Nobel Prize is the most genderfriendly prize.
5. From the text we can see that the author seems .
A. sensitiveB. satisfied C. optimisticD. critical
Passage 2
Stanford University is a privately endowed institution， founded in 1885 by Senator and Mrs. Leland Stanford in memory of their deceased son. The student body is composed of approximately 14，000 students. Of the 6，600 undergraduates （A.B. or B.S.） enrolled last year， about 300 came from outside the United States. There were also 2，000 international students among 7，400 students who were enrolled in graduate programs （M.A.， M.S. and Ph.D.）。 Thus we have a substantial community of international students even though the proportion of undergraduate international students is rather low.
Stanford operates on a fourquarter system. Autumn， Winter， and Spring Quarters make up the usual academic year and constitute approximately the same amount of time. The fourth， Summer Quarter， is usually smaller in enrollment but offers regular credit.
Stanford offers undergraduate degrees in over 57 fields. It does not offer undergraduate degrees in business， law， medicine， or education， though many students prepared for careers in these fields by majoring in a related undergraduate discipline. An applicant applies to Stanford through the Office of Undergraduate Admission， or not a particular school and department within the University. All fields of study are equally open to all undergraduates. An applicant is invited to specify a field of interest， but this is not required.
To qualify for a Stanford degree， the University requires that a minimum of two academic years （at least 90 quarts of academic work） be satisfactorily completed at Stanford. Departmental requirements for the given degree must be fulfilled， as well as University General Education Requirements. It is most possible to attend Stanford for only one year either as a visiting student or to finish an undergraduate degree somewhere else. All students must be enrolled in a course of study leading to a bachelors degree.
Students from other countries may find that methods of instruction and the structure of the curriculum at Stanford differ in many ways from those offered in their home countries. Stanford believes that every student should have a broad education in addition to specializing in a particular field. Students must take two quarters of Freshman English and a yearlong course emphasizing philosophy and literature. In addition， they must take courses in the humanities， sciences， and natural sciences， regardless of their intended major.
A nonU.S. citizen accepted for admission needs a Certificate of Eligibility， Form 1-20， to apply for the F-1 Visa （student Visa）。 Stanford issues a Form 1-20 to each enrolling student who is not U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident， but this form is sent only when the adequacy of the students financial support for study at Stanford has been determined.
1. Which of the following places should a student not hand his application form in to？
A. The Office of Undergraduate Admission
B. Not a particular school
C. Department within the University
D. Administration building of University
2. According to the text， who of the following persons is not qualified for a Stanford degree？
A. Foreign students who have studied 3 years in Stanford
B. Students who have fulfilled the Department requirements， but missed the University General Education requirements
C. Students who are in their first year study， but have achieved great success.
D. Students who refuse to take courses in social sciences and natural sciences.
3. Which of the following statements is correct according to the text？
A. In Summer Quarter， classes are also open to students.
B. If you are an oversea student， your attendance to some field of study is limited.
C. To specify a field of interest is necessary.
D. Although undergraduate degrees in business and medicine are offered， many students still major in a related undergraduate discipline.
4. Which certificate should an oversea student possess if he wants to be enrolled by Stanford？
A. Certificate of Eligibility， Form 1-20 and F-1 Visa.
B. General Certificate of Education.
C. Certificate of good behavior in their native countries.
D. Certificate of great achievements.
5. How would you describe the writers style？
A. Write in an academic style.
B. Write in a journalistic style.
C. Write in a personal style.
D. On the basis of widespread research in the area.
Passage 3
The 435 seats in the House of Representatives， plus onethird of the 100 Senate seats， are up for election every two years. For candidates to the House of Representatives， success in the primary may well mean triumph in the general election. This is because many representatives are elected from the oneparty districts — usually defined as areas in which one political party always wins at least 55 percent of the vote and the other never obtains more than 45 percent. A majority of the congressional districts are of this type and victory in the primary normally determines who will be elected to office. “Safe” oneparty Senate seats are relatively rare， however — most states are “competitive”， meaning that the election is a real contest.
Another factor that plays a major role in the election of members of Congress is incumbency. An incumbency is a person who is already in office. Incumbency is a significant force. In the 1976 election only 13 House incumbents lost their seats. In 1980 the figure was somewhat higher — 31 of the 392 incumbents seeking reelection were defeated.
Incumbents have certain builtin advantages over their challengers： They are better known in their districts， can send out mail at no charge （a privilege of members of Congress）， and have a core of supporters who can be called upon to work during the campaign. As a result， many senators and representatives have long careers serving in Congress.
In presidential election years， another factor — the socalled coattail effect — may influence the outcome of congressional elections in competitive districts and states. A popular presidential candidate may help House and Senate candidates who are running on the same party ballot get elected. The 1980 election illustrates this effect. Reagans triumph in the presidential election helped produce a net gain of 33 Republicans in the House of Representatives and 12 in the Senate. The Republican victories in the Senate were the largest gain by party since 1958 and created the first Republican majority in the Senate since the 1952 election.
This phenomenon does not occur in every election， however. In 1976， for example， Jimmy Carters narrow victory in the presidential election did not significantly affect the outcome of congressional elections. If congressional candidates believe their partys presidential nominee will not run a strong race， they will base their campaign strategy on other factors — their own achievements or the shortcomings of their opponents， for example — and avoid trying their campaign to that of their partys presidential candidate.
In an offyear election（ i.e.， one in which a President is not being elected ），candidates in competitive districts can not ride the coattails of a presidential candidate. Even popular Presidents cannot transfer their popularity when their names are not on the ballot. The candidates must devise different strategies to achieve victory. The character and voting record of a candidate become more important in offyear elections，while national issues tend to become less important. Candidates for the Senate may have to develop programs centered on specific state issues. National issues play a significant role in offyear elections only if they are of great interest to the voters. For example， the Watergate scandal in the 1974 elections.
1. Incumbents have some advantages over their challengers， which of the following statements is not included？
A. They can send out mail without concern about the cost.
B. They have a core of supporters.
C. They are better known in their districts.
D. They appear on TV frequently.
2. In presidential election years， which doesnt play an important role in the election of members of Congress according to the text？
A. Success in the primary election.B. You are during your incumbency.
C. Some other people take you up.D. They seem easy to approach.
3. What will congressional candidates do if they think their partys presidential nominee is not so strong？
A. Show the nominees achievements and their opponents shortcomings.
B. Tie their campaign to that of their partys presidential candidate.
C. Establish a good rapport with other parties.
D. Persuade people into supporting him.
4. Which of the following statements is wrong according to the text？
A. The coattails of a presidential candidate can also work a lot in an offyear election.
B. Oneparty districts are areas in which one political party always wins at least 55 percent of the vote.
C. The character and voting record is important in offyear elections.
D. National issues do not play a significant role in offyear elections if they are of little interest to voters.
5. What is the authors purpose of writing this article？
A. Criticizing the system of American election.
B. Giving readers some information about the American election.
C. Making American election known universally.
D. Pointing out the advantages of American election over other elections.
Passage 4
In cities all over the United States， workers spend several hours a day in cars crawling along in traffic to get to offices many miles from home. They experience stress， waste time， and pay a lot for gas， car maintenance， and parking. Once they get to work， they make their way through a maze of cubicles， each with its computer， phone， and file cabinet. Nancy Alley， human resources manager at TBWA China/Day， doesnt. She stays at home in her pajamas with a pile of resume， talking with managers over the phone and faxing in paperwork. Instead of walking down the hall to chat with coworkers， she Emails them. Nancy is a telecommuter， someone who works some or all of the time at home， and she is part of a trend. Since 1990， the number of U.S. telecommuters has grown from 4.2 million to 9.2 million， and by the turn of the century， 55 million people worldwide have been telecommuting.
Highway congestion， the high cost of office space， federal cleanair laws， reduced work forces， and lifestyle needs — all these factors contribute to the growth of telecommuting. What makes it possible is technology. Desktop and laptop personal computers， networking， videoconferencing， fax machines， Email， and multiple phone lines provide the fast and efficient communication required for telecommuting.
The experiences of many companies suggest that telecommuting can increase workplace flexibility and enhance productivity. At Georgia Power Company， for example， the company decided to triple its number of telecommuters. The company reduced the cost of leased office space by $100，000 a year， increased productivity among the telecommuting employees of its customer service center， and saved the workers a combined 750 commuter miles a day.
Telecommuting， however， is not without its obstacles. At one computer software firm， the information systems manager offered telecommuting as an option to her 100person staff. After three months， the staff members reported that being away from the office was counterproductive to their work. Programmers missed being able to drop by analysts cubicles with questions， and everyone reported they were interrupted at home more often. As part of its costcutting initiative， Nestle required 140 sales employees to telecommute. Facing many technical problems with telephone lines and frustratingly slow computer networking， most of these telecommutes found it an aggravating experience. Telecommuting also makes many employees feel isolated and out of touch， leading to decreased motivation and less， not more productivity. By blurring the barriers between work and family， telecommuting often leads to more work hours and more interference with family life.
Telecommuting is not universally applicable. Jobs and individuals must be suitable， and staff must be capable of managing telecommuters. In addition， technological improvements， such as highspeed modems， are crucial. Few people expect to conduct business regularly from a tropical island or mountain resort any time soon.
1. Which of the following statements is not one of the troubles of driving to office everyday， mentioned in this text？
A. They often come home from work very late.
B. It wastes a lot of time.
C. The cost of gas， car maintenance and parking is pretty high.
D. They bear a heavy burden.
2. The following statements are factors contributing to the growth of telecommuting， except .
A. traffic jam and high expense of office space.
B. the federal cleanair laws and reduced work forces.
C. the hours staying with their families are too less.
D. the lifestyle is different from former ones.
3. Telecommuting is not as perfect as expected， which is not its problems？
A. Some workers cant work as efficient as when they are at office.
B. It makes employees feel isolated and out of touch.
C. It causes the expense of electricity to rise rapidly.
D. It leads to long work hours and interrupts family life.
4. Judging from the passage， which of the following is incorrect？
A. Telecommuting is someone who works some or all of the time at home.
B. It is technology that makes telecommuting possible.
C. Technological improvement is one element that can determine whether telecommuting is universally applicable.
D. It is very convenient to discuss between companions through telecommuting.
5. What is the authors opinion of telecommuting？
A. It can soon be applied to everyone.
B. There are many things to do to make it popular.
C. It has more advantages than disadvantages.
D. The use of it doesnt provide us with any good.
Keys and notes for the passage reading：
Passage 1
本文陳述了很少有女性獲諾貝爾獎(jiǎng)的事實(shí)以及造成這種情況的原因：性別歧視。并對(duì)將來(lái)是否會(huì)改變這一現(xiàn)狀提出了疑問(wèn)。
1. Finding the answer is further complicated by the Nobel Foundations policy of keeping the nomination lists and selection process confidential for 50 years.對(duì)提名的名單和選舉程序保密50年， 諾貝爾獎(jiǎng)基金會(huì)的這一規(guī)定使得人們找到這一答案更加困難。
2. A 1998 New Yorker article detailed the literature committees infighting over whether making a point of giving the prize to new voices or minorities threatened its value.1998年《紐約人》上的一篇文章詳細(xì)介紹了文學(xué)評(píng)選委員會(huì)內(nèi)部關(guān)于決定使獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)向新的聲音或少數(shù)群體傾斜是否會(huì)威脅其價(jià)值的一場(chǎng)明爭(zhēng)暗斗。
3. Yet Crawford points out that once the initial pool of candidates is drawn up for the three science prizes， the committee cuts loose on such factors as age， nationality， and connections. Crawford 指出，在草擬候選人的初始名單時(shí)， 委員會(huì)是不會(huì)考慮諸如年齡、國(guó)籍及群帶關(guān)系這些因素的。
1. 「B」從文章第四段中間可得。
2. 「A」expertise專業(yè)知識(shí)。enterprise 進(jìn)取心。 enthusiasm 熱情。responsibility責(zé)任心。
3. 「D」從文章倒數(shù)第三段中間可得到正確答案。
4. 「A」由文章第三段可知A正確。B，C錯(cuò)誤。從全文看，Nobel Prize 并不是很公平的，所以D不對(duì)。
5. 「D」通觀全文，作者持的是一種不滿和批判的態(tài)度。
Passage 2
本文主要介紹了斯坦福大學(xué)的學(xué)期設(shè)置，入讀申請(qǐng)及學(xué)位獲得，教育方法和非美國(guó)公民被錄取的資格等一系列具體事項(xiàng)。
1. An applicant applies to Stanford through the Office of Undergraduate Admission， or not a particular school and department within the University. 入讀斯坦福大學(xué)要遞交申請(qǐng)書(shū)給本科生招生辦公室，或非特定的學(xué)校和校內(nèi)的系辦。
2. A nonU.S. citizen accepted for admission needs a Certificate of Eligibility， Form 1-20， to apply for the F-1 Visa （student Visa）。被錄取的非美國(guó)籍學(xué)生應(yīng)具備1-20 類合格證書(shū)，申請(qǐng)F(tuán)-1類簽證（學(xué)生簽證）。
3. Stanford issues a Form 1-20 to each enrolling student who is not U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident， but this form is sent only when the adequacy of the students financial support for study at Stanford has been determined.斯坦福大學(xué)會(huì)給每個(gè)被錄取的非美國(guó)籍或非美國(guó)永久居民的學(xué)生發(fā)放1-20類合格證書(shū)，但只有當(dāng)學(xué)生在斯坦福學(xué)習(xí)的經(jīng)濟(jì)擔(dān)保被核實(shí)無(wú)誤后，才會(huì)發(fā)放該類證書(shū)。
1. 「D」該題可以根據(jù)文章第三段得到正確答案。
2. 「A」該題可以根據(jù)文章第四段得到正確答案。該段中規(guī)定了一些具體的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。
3. 「A」文中說(shuō)，雖然夏季上課的人要少些，但也開(kāi)設(shè)正常課程。
4. 「A」文章后一段第一句話明確回答了該問(wèn)題。
5. 「C」作者完全是按照自己的想法來(lái)寫(xiě)的，介紹Stanford 的一些情況，而不是學(xué)術(shù)或新聞寫(xiě)作。
Passage 3
本文主要介紹了美國(guó)的競(jìng)選情況，以及在總統(tǒng)選舉年和非總統(tǒng)選舉年影響選舉結(jié)果的一系列主要因素。
1. The 435 seats in the House of Representatives， plus onethird of the 100 Senate seats， are up for election every two years.眾議院的435個(gè)席位，加上參議院的100個(gè)席位中的三分之一，便為每?jī)赡昱e行的眾議員競(jìng)選作好了準(zhǔn)備。
2. In presidential election years， another factor — the socalled coattail effect — may influence the outcome of congressional elections in competitive districts and states.在總統(tǒng)競(jìng)選年，另一因素（即所謂的提攜作用）可能在競(jìng)爭(zhēng)激烈的地區(qū)和州影響國(guó)會(huì)選舉的結(jié)果。
3. If congressional candidates believe their partys presidential nominee will not run a strong race， they will base their campaign strategy on other factors — their own achievements or the shortcomings of their opponents， for example — and avoid trying their campaign to that of their partys presidential candidate.如果國(guó)會(huì)候選人認(rèn)為他們黨的總統(tǒng)提名人沒(méi)有很強(qiáng)的競(jìng)選能力，他們就把競(jìng)選運(yùn)動(dòng)的策略建立在其他因素上，比如他們本身的成就或?qū)κ值娜觞c(diǎn)，以避免競(jìng)選局限于本黨的總統(tǒng)候選人。
4. The character and voting record of a candidate become more important in offyear elections， while national issues tend to become less important.候選人的名聲及投票結(jié)果在非大選年更為重要，而國(guó)內(nèi)問(wèn)題往往不那么重要。
1. 「D」文中第三段對(duì)每一條優(yōu)勢(shì)都列舉得很清楚。
2. 「D」從文章第一段第二句可知A錯(cuò)誤。從文章第三段第一句可知B錯(cuò)誤。從文章第四段第一句可知C錯(cuò)誤。只有D正確。
3. 「A」從文章倒數(shù)第二段中間可得到正確答案。
4. 「A」從文章后一段第一句可知A錯(cuò)誤。B，C，D都可以在原文中找到。
5. 「B」作者對(duì)美國(guó)選舉進(jìn)行的是客觀描述。
Passage 4
隨著交通擁擠，空間費(fèi)用上漲，勞動(dòng)力的縮減及技術(shù)的發(fā)展，電訊家庭辦公成為眾望所歸。人們?cè)谙硎芩峁┑谋憷猓裁媾R著一些困擾。
1. Once they get to work， they make their way through a maze of cubicles， each with its computer， phone， and file cabinet.上班后，他們穿行在迷宮般的辦公室中，每個(gè)辦公室配有電腦、電話和文件柜。
2. Highway congestion， the high cost of office space， federal cleanair laws， reduced work forces， and lifestyle needs — all these factors contribute to the growth of telecommuting.公路交通的擁擠，辦公室空間的高額費(fèi)用， 聯(lián)邦政府的潔凈空氣法， 勞動(dòng)大軍的縮減以及生活方式的需要——所有這些因素促成了電訊家庭辦公人數(shù)的增加。
3. Programmers missed being able to drop by analysts cubicles with questions， and everyone reported they were interrupted at home more often. 程序員無(wú)法帶著問(wèn)題到分析員的辦公室里請(qǐng)教， 同時(shí)大家都感到在家辦公更是經(jīng)常被打擾。
4. Facing many technical problems with telephone lines and frustratingly slow computer networking， most of these telecommutes found it an aggravating experience.面臨著電話線路及煩人的電腦網(wǎng)絡(luò)“塞車”等許多技術(shù)性問(wèn)題，他們大都感到這是個(gè)令人惱火的經(jīng)歷。
1. 「A」本題可以在文章第一段第二句話中找到答案： 他們承受緊張壓力， 浪費(fèi)時(shí)間， 還要為汽油、汽車維修和泊車花一大筆錢(qián)。
2. 「C」本題可以從文章第二段第一句話中找到答案。
3. 「C」答案在文章第四段。
4. 「D」從文章第一段可知A錯(cuò)誤。從文章第二段可知B錯(cuò)誤。從后一段可知C錯(cuò)誤。
5. 「B」從第四段可知，電訊家庭辦公還存在許多問(wèn)題，還需要許多改進(jìn)工作才可使之普及。因此，選項(xiàng)B符合題意。